The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-03-08
EARLY AMERICAN BISHOPS.
objections OF the Colonies TO APP
pointees from England-Dean
Swift ms n Candidate.


Swift ms n Candidate.
The conservation of the first bishop
If New York, which took place in Lon
don one hundred years ago day before
yesterday, says The New York Herald,
naturally forms one of the most interest
ing and important anniversaries of the
Protestant Episcopal church in Ameri-
ca. While the story of the growth of
that church in this country may be a
familiar one to clergymen and others
who have given special attention to it,
most people will mildly wonder why
so long II time elapsed between the
settlement of the American colonies by
Englishmen aud the conservation of
their first bishop. 1t is not strange
that puritan New England should have
been an unpromisng soil into which
to transplant bishop of the Establish
ed Church of England, but this objec-
ton did not apply to New York, Dele
ware, Virginia, or the Carolinas, while
the tolerance shown by the Quakers in
Pennsylvania left an equally open field
in that colony. Yet the first American
bishop consecrated was a Connecticut
man, and he presided over his Connec-
ticut diocese for more than two years
before the other colonies had bishops
supplied to them
As far back as 1888 Archbishop Laud,
having previously sent the Rev. Will
liam Mored to Plymouth settlement to
superintend ecclesiastical affairs in New
England, set on foot a scheme for send
ing bishops to the colonies. The Scot
fish rebellion put a quietus to this
scheme the church being in too much
danger at home to do much to extend
its influence abroad. Shortly after the
restoration an attempt was made to
send bishop to Virginia. Rev. Alex
ander Murray, who had been the kings
companion in exile, was made bishop.
and patent was made OUTPUT not
fully Notwithstanding him bishop
Of Virginia with general charge over
the other colonies. This uneXecuted
patent was long preserved in London,
but has since been lost. There is reas-
on to bel eve that an attempt to send
bishop to Massachusetts had nearly sue
cceded ten years before Murray's nom
mat on. When Lord Clarenden's min
istry went out of Office Murray's nope
of preferment was gone.
In 1909 Dean Swift, who was coquet-
ting with politics for what he could
make, cast his eye upon Virginia ms an
eligible site for diocese. His friend
Col. Hunter, having after various vlcis-
tudes, become governor of New York,
wrote to Swift as follows: 81 have pur-
chased a seat for bishop.
You once upon day gave me hope
of seeing you there. 1t would be no
small relief to me to have so good n
friend to complain to-" Who can tell
what might have followed the appoint
ment of the brilliant but erratic dean as
first bishop of America? 1t is fair to
saw however, that whatever might
have been the hopes and plans of Swift
and his friends in this matter, there
does not appear to have been any in
tention at court to give him the APP
pointment.
During all these years, while there
was steady demand on the part of
some churchmen in America for the
appointment of Il bishop, the general
sentiment was opposed, not only to the
sending stranger in that capacity,
but even to the selection of an Amer
lean for the place. Thus, when the
clergy of Maryland chose Rev, Mr..
Colebatch to go to England to be conse-
Grated writ of nc cgedt was obtained
from the general court, and as he was
prevented from going to be consccra-
ted the nomination came to naught.
There was widespread fear that n
bishop would Cypress the clergy and
interfere in the private affairs of the
laity and so strong was this feeling that
at the convention of l770, held at Nor
walk, Conn, a committee was instruct
ed to gather and report accounts of OPP
precision by the episcopacy in England
and elsewhere. The supposed inten-
ton of the crown to force a bishop
upon the church in America without
regard to the wishes of the people was
a prolific cause of controversy and strife
for many vcars. and some of the tracts